Field



UNITED Y STATES "PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. MEBBIFIELD, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

STRAW-STACKlNG MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 287,844, dated November 6, 1883.

Application filed June 18, M83. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.- J

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. MERR FIELD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in StrawStacking I Machines, of which the following is a specifi- V cation.

My 1nventionrelates to improvements in straw-stacklng machines; and the objects of my improvements are to dispense with a derrick, to provlde easy and simple means for raising and lowering the straw-carrier, to improve the working of the turn-table, andto produce a hood of simpler construction and operation than has heretofore been used. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine ready for operation. Fig.2 is a rear eleva:

tion of the same and partial vertical cross-see tion on line a: x on Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan or top view of the turn-table, also showing the mechanism for raising and lowering the strawcarrier frame. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section through the machine on line 3 3 Fig. 5 is a detail view of the anti-friction 'roller-plate. Fig. 6 shows one of the quarterwheels, which raises and lowers the carrier," operated by a cog-wheel instead of a chain and crank. 1

Similar letters refer to similar out the several views.

A is the frame on which the machine is mounted. B B are the axles, to which the bolsters O G are pivoted. a a a a are thumb or set screws'operating throughmetallic plates in bolsters O O and on the axles B B, so that the machine can be leveled without the raising and blocking up of the truck, ashas heretofore been necessary on unlevel ground.

'To the bolsters O O is secured the horizontal frame A, which supports the shaft H, which is provided with pulleys at either end, to receive power from a stationary engine or thrashing-machine, and apulley in its center, to transfer the power by a belt or chain to a pulley in the center of shaft H. On one end of the shaft H is another pulley, to transmit parts throughthe power to the shaft F, which operatesthe belts and slats of the straw-carrier S.

The wheels D and D, forming the turn-table, are supported by the frame-work A, which is rigidly braced in place on the horizontal frame and truck A.

Between the wheels D and D is placed a flanged roller-plate, E, made to receive the wheels of the turn-table, with a'web, e,-between the flanges e e. In said web are openings, to allow the anti-friction rollers or balls 0 0 to operate, at the same time effectually preventing them from bunching. By this device much hard work can be saved, and the wear and tear of the machine greatly reduced. This roller-plate can be formed in one or more sections. The flanges e e assist in keeping the wheels D and D in their proper positions. The wheels D and D are further held in position with respect to each other by the flanged iron rings f and f, which'are rigidly secured y, to cross-bars in both wheels, and through said rings the belt passes which transmits the power from the center pulley on shaft H to the center pulley on shaft H The ring f is bolted to cross-bars in wheel D, and the ring f is bolted to cross-bars in wheel D, the ring f 4 extending down through the ring f and catching on the under side of the ring f by means of a flange, thus locking the two rings and the wheels D and D together; but allowing the wheel D to turn on wheel D.

To the wheel Dof the turn-table are secured the standards (1 d, and to the standards 01 d are secured the cast-iron brackets s s and sleeve extensions G G on either side, to receive the sides of the carrier frame S and the hubs of the quarter-wheels W, said sleeves forming a boxing, in which the shaft F, that propelsthe V, belts and slats of the carrier, operates. The 0 upper ends of the quarter-wheels W W are secured to a cross-beam, w, which is bolted rig- .idly to the under side of the carrier-frame S, or to braces supporting the carrier-frame.

To the lower ends of the quarter-wheels W WV are secured the chains P P. Said chains P P are also secured to shaft I, which is-operated on the wheel D of the turn-table.

In the center of the shaft I is a large cogwheel, 6, which is operated. by a small 00g 100 wheel, a, on shaft N. Said shaft N is turned by cranks on either side of the machine, and by means of the cog-wheels, the chains, the quarter-wheels, and the cross-beam under the carrier the straw-carrier is raised and lowered.

The guide-plates R R are secured to the turn-table, to prevent the chains 1? P from slipping out of place in raising or lowering the carrier-frame. The quarter-wheels can also be turned by small cog-wheels operated by cranks on either side of the machine, in which case said cog-wheels are to operate in teeth on the rims of the quarter-wheels, as shown in Fig. 6.

T represents either the end of the strawcarrier 011 a thrashing-machine or posts set on either side of the truck of my straw-stacker, to the sides of which are pivoted the bars on m, in such a manner as to allow the rear end of the bars to be raised or lowered by means of a rope, it, or the like, which is attached to the fore ends of the bars, and thus raises or lowers the hood without the use of pulleys, &e., as heretofore used.

To the bars m m are pivoted the stays on m, to which the canvas or the like forming the hood is fastened. When in operation, said stays m m are held up in their proper positions by the hooks z a, that are hingedto stays m m and hooked to the bars m m \Vhen the hood is not needed, the hooks z z are nnfastened, the pivot-pins t it removed, and the whole hood rolled up in a compact and handy shape.

Heretofore the anti-friction rollers orballs which operated between the two wheels forming the turn-table often rolled. together, and so defeated the object of their use. By the addition of a roller-plate, either in one solid ring, to fit between the wheels, or in sections, with openings, to allow the balls or rollers to operate, but to prevent them bu-nching, as shown in Fig. 5, the easy operation of the turn-table will be insured at all times; also, the keeping of the two wheels in their proper positions with respect to each other is further facilitated by the bracket-clamp and roller p, secured to the upper wheel, D, and reaching under lower wheel, D, which resists the tendency of the carrier-frame S to spring the wheels D and D apart.

The raising and lowering of the carrierframe is effected by operating the cranks at either end of the shaft N, which is secured to the turn-table. The small cog-wheel n in the center of said shaft N operates in the large cog-wheel i on shaft I, and winds or unwinds the chains P I, that are secured to the shaft I and to the lower end of the quarter-wheels \V W. Said quarter-wheels \V V are rigidly secured at their upper ends to the under side of the carrier-frame, or to the braces supporting the carrier-frame, and thus by their operation the quarterwvheels raise and lower the carrier-frame without great exertion by the operator.

On shaft N is aratchet-whcel, m, in which the click Z operates and holds the stacker in the position desired. The click can be thrown out of gear from either side of the machine by the crank-shaft L.

The carrier-frame, as stated, can be raised or lowered by small cog-wheels operated by cranks on either side of the machine, said cog-wheels working in cogs or teeth on the rim of the quarter-wheels.

Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, in a straw-stacking ma chine, of the truck A, the frame-work A, the turn-table wheels D and D, the flanged roller-plate E, the flanged rings f andf, the bracket-clamp and roller 1), the standards d d,

and the carrier-frame S, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination, in astraw-stacking machine, of the turntable wheels D and D, the standards d d, the brackets s s, with sleeve extensions G G, the carrier-frame S, the crossbeam 10, the quarter-wheels 1V \V, the chains P 1, the shaft I, cog-wheel i, the shaft N, cogwheel a, ratchet-wheel m, the crank-shaft L, and click Z, all substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination, with a hood i'orstrawstacking machines, of the posts or frame T, the bars at m the stays at m, the rods or hooks z 2', and the rope u, as described and specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES E. MERRIFIELD.

\Vitnesses:

GOTTF. KonnLnR,

lnrnn RoU'rInR.

ICO 

